Happy Birthday Dear (С Днем Рождения Уважаемый)
by Dancingqueen4Life
Summary: Just a series of one-shots on Clint and Natasha's birthdays through their partnership. Kind of a sucky summary, but don't worry, the stories are much better! Rating is just to be safe, and might change. Please R&R!
1. Bullets and Poison

**A/N: I own absolutely none of this, all characters belong to Marvel. PLease leave Reviews, they keep me motivated!**

**Year One: Bullets and Poison.**

"Romanoff!"  
Natasha turned to look behind her when she heard the shout. She groaned inwardly when she saw her partner running towards her.

"What do you want Barton?"  
"I well," He sighed before continuing "Ihearditwasyourbirthdayandwa ntedtogiveyouthis,hopeyoulikeit."

Natasha barely had time to understand what he'd said before something was thrust into her hands. She looked down, and by the time she looked back up, Barton was halfway down the hall, clearly running away from her.

Natasha was confused, obviously, but decided that the hallway wasn't the best place to sort out the confusion. She quickly made her way to her bedroom on the Hellicarrier, closed and locked the door, and sat on her bed.

She looked at the present, and figured she may as well open it. She opened the box, and pulled out a box of bullets. She saw a note under the bullets, and pulled it out to read.

_Nat-_

_These are SHIELD's newest bullets. They fire just like regular ones, but they explode on contact- more than just buckshot. Not that you need help with killing targets. I just thought you'd enjoy them. Anyway, Happy Birthday._

_-Clint_

Natasha smiled to herself. These were going to be lots of fun.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Natasha had memorized his schedule. She knew exactly when he was leaving his room, and knew exactly what time he got in the shower. And she knew exactly how much time she'd have to get in and out.

She pulled it off of course. The Black Widow never failed on a mission this simple.

Agent Barton made his way back to his bedroom. It had been a good birthday overall. The new recruits weren't as annoying, and Coulson had even made him a cake. Barton's whistling stopped immediately once he reached his bedroom door. He got the distinct impression that someone had been inside his room.

"Don't be stupid, Clint. The door's still locked."  
Clint unlocked the door, before stepping carefully inside. He flicked on the lights and was surprised to see a small box sitting on his pillow. He walked over, and picked it up. The sender hadn't left their name, but Clint had a suspicion as to who sent it.

His suspicion was confirmed when he opened it to find a tiny vial nestled into cotton. There was also a note attached to the inside of the top of the box

_Clint-_

_This is poison. And really strong stuff too- it comes straight from Black Widows, so don't touch it. You can use it to coat your arrows, just incase you screw up a kill shot. DO NOT screw up a kill shot just to see if it works, it does. Have fun._

_-Natasha_

Clint smiled to himself, very pleased that she had remembered his birthday.


	2. Grips and Electricity

**Year Two: Grips and Electricity.**

Natasha was walking back to her room after a particularly exhilarating workout. She skipped her usual things- running, sparring, and shooting- in favor of the one thing that still held her heart- gymnastics. She was Russian after all, and she had been just like every other little girl in Russia- she believed that she could be a champion gymnast. The only difference is that she actually _could_ have been, if the Red Room hadn't forced her to become a killer. It was ironic- the place that made her an amazing gymnast wouldn't allow her to use gymnastics for anything other than getting out of tight spots. She chuckled softly to herself, before stepping into her bedroom. She had the door closed before she noticed that something was off. And it took her a further 2 seconds to figure out what it was. There was a smell. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, in fact, Natasha rather liked it, but the fact that it was there meant that someone had been in her room. She was just about to leave and interrogate her prime suspect when she caught sight of something sticking out from under her pillow.

She walked towards her bed, and pulled out something wrapped in tissue paper, with a note taped to the top. She opened the note, and found that she wasn't all that surprised when she discovered whom it was from

_Nat-_

_I saw you working out, and thought you could use these. Have fun, and happy birthday._

_-Clint_

Natasha smiled to herself as she pulled the tissues paper off the present. She almost started crying when she saw what was inside. She was holding a pair of grips, and a new one at that. As stupid as it sounded, she hadn't held a new pair of grips since she was 7 years old, and the Red Room decided she could be useful. What made these ones even better, was that Béla Károlyi had autographed them. That's when she actually did start crying. Natasha tried to remember when she had ever said that she'd had the chance to meet the famous coach, but had been sent off on a mission-which ended up being her first kill. Then she realized. They'd gone on a mission to Russia, to where Natasha's first kill was, and she'd told him. But that had been their fifth mission, well over a year ago. She smiled at the memory. When Clint had asked if she regretted not sneaking back to meet the man, she had said no- because then they wouldn't have been partners. It wasn't until she was holding the grips Clint had given her that she truly believed her response.

Two days later, Clint came into the gym to work out. He looked over to the gymnastic equipment, and was pleased to see Natasha. He was even more pleased to see that she was using her birthday present. She looked up at him, and gave him one of the few genuine smiles he'd been able to coax out of her in their short time working together.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Clint had just stepped out of the shower. His workout had been tough, but it felt good to finally be able to use his full strength. He walked over to his locker to get his clothes out. When he opened it, he was surprised to see something buried beneath his clothes. He took it out, and found that someone had left him a gift. He opened the note attached to the gift, even though he already knew who had given it to him.

_Clint-_

_I saw this the other day and thought of you. I know it's basic, but who says basic can't be fun. Just make sure that Coulson gets his fair share of it, but DON'T be stupid about it. Happy birthday._

_-Nat_

Clint smiled, and opened the package. Inside, he found a small device that went on the inside of the person's palm, and when they shook hands, the other person was shocked. Clint chuckled to himself. This just proved that Natasha knew about his mini prank war with Coulson, and that she found it entertaining, just like the other agents.

Clint finished getting dressed, before slipping the contraption on his hand, and setting out to find his handler.

"Phil!"  
"Hey, it's the birthday boy!"  
Clint stuck his hand out, and Coulson shook it. Clint had a smile on his face for the split second before Coulson's hand collided with his own. He then felt the jolt of electricity go through _his_ hand and into _his_ body. And it was more than the box said it would be. Before he had a chance to get mad, Clint was laughing, and running off to find his partner. He found her sparring with one of the new recruits, and walked up to her

"Alright Romanoff, you won that round of the prank war. But I'll get you back."

"Hey Clint. Did you get my present?"  
"Yes. The war is now officially on."  
With that, he smiled and walked away, leaving his partner laughing behind him.


	3. Antique guns and Sunglasses

**Year Three: Antique Guns and Sunglasses.**

Natasha Romanoff was in a good mood. Medical had cleared her last week, even though she could have been back a _month_ ago. Barton had been in the gym today, which meant that she could actually get some decent sparring done, instead of having to actually _go easy_ on the newbies. And, it was her birthday. Of course, she wasn't in a good mood because she'd gotten another year older; she was in a good mood because she'd had the _chance_ to get another year older. It had been a tough year, and her missions with Barton had been some of the most difficult she'd ever been on. And she still had no clue why Fury had even sent them to Budapest, unless he'd been trying to kill them.

_Although, now that I think of Budapest…_ a small smile crept over her face, and Natasha jumped into the waiting shower before anyone could see her, and start rumors that the Black Widow had any kind of feelings.

She took her time under the hot spray, working out all the knots and kinks, until she felt semi-decent. She knew rehab was tough, but this was damn near excruciating.

She made her way over to her locker, only to notice that it was unlocked. Oh, someone had _guts_. Everyone knew that touching anything that belonged to the Black Widow, or anything that she _thought_ belonged to her, meant you were most likely never going to wake up. There were only 4 people who were brave enough to go through her things- Fury, Coulson, Barton, and very recently, Hill.

She made her way over, and saw a package sitting on her clothing, and upon further inspection, she saw a note taped to the outside

_Do not open this around any other people. Don't worry; it's not a bomb._

Now that was certainly strange. She didn't think it was a bomb, but it was certainly heavy enough to be. She shrugged, and pulled her clothes on, before making her way back to her room. A few people were stupid enough to look at her and the package curiously, so she shot them a death glare, which caused one of them to faint and fall down a flight of stairs and most likely led to something getting broken.

When she made it to her room, she went to her bed and sat on it, and rotated the package in front of her face, before deciding that the only way to know what it was would be to actually open it.

She carefully opened the paper, and plucked the note out from inside. She carefully set the box down next to her and opened the note.

_Tasha-_

_Happy birthday. You'll probably know what this is the second you see it, so I'm hoping you read the note first. Don't be mad, I didn't buy it, and I didn't steal it. When it was originally made, my grandfather was able to get one. He was also smart enough to never give it to my father. Instead, he left it to me when he died a while ago. I was going through some old things, and found it, and decided that you'd enjoy it more. So have fun, and remember, only shoot people who _really_ deserve it._

_-Clint_

She put the note down, and was puzzled for a moment, until she picked the box back up and removed the tissue paper. She looked down, and didn't have words for what she saw in the box. She picked up the gun, and only then realized that it wasn't a dream. She was holding a Freeman .44 caliber revolver. It was one of only 2000. And Barton had given it to her. He'd also giver her bullets, so she jumped up from her bed and ran out of her room to the gun range to test it out.

Barton came into the gun range, because he'd gotten word of 'the crazy lady' running down the halls with a gun. He saw her in the stall farthest from the door, and he didn't need his super-sensitive eyes to tell him that she was firing her birthday present, and she was _loving_ it. She looked to her left and caught sight of Barton looking at her, and she smiled at him. He mentally added that smile to the list he had of all the smiles she'd given him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Clint Barton wasn't really in the mood to celebrate his birthday. The one person he'd been looking forward to seeing had been shipped off on a mission. He was pissed to put it mildly. He hated when Fury separated them.

_We're just lucky he didn't separate us for Budapest._

Budapest had been a wonderful time for Clint. Sure, the whole almost getting killed thing had put a slight damper on things, but one thing had finally gone his way.

He'd kissed Natasha Romanoff. No matter what people called her, Natalia Romanova, Natasha Romanoff, Natalie Rushman, Black Widow.

He'd kissed her.

_And she hadn't killed him_. Although that might have been because _she initiated the kiss._ That's really what had happened. _Natasha Romanoff had kissed him._ _She_ had _kissed_ _him._

He'd just have to settle with that being the highlight of his year. And that was fine with him.

Clint finally decided to workout, and made his way over to his closet to get some clothes out. When he opened the door, something fell off the top shelf, and landed at his feet. He bent down to retrieve it, and had to work to keep the smile off his face.

He went over to his bed, and sat down, before removing the note from the parcel.

_Clint-_

_I was told today that I'd be on a mission during your birthday, so I snuck into your room before I left. I had a hard time thinking about what to get you. Your aim is fine, so you don't need anything to help with that. And you clearly don't give a rat's ass about gun collecting. So I settled with this, and I really hope you like it. And even if you don't I expect you to suck it up and deal with it. _

_You better still be alive when I get back._

_-Natasha_

Clint chuckled to himself. Leave it to Natasha to tell someone that they had no choice but to like the present they got. Although, he already knew he'd like it. It was from _her_ after all.

He picked up the gift and removed the wrapping, before pulling out a pair of black aviator sunglasses. He recalled the conversation that most likely led to her giving him these. When she asked why he never wore sunglasses, he told her it was because he only ever wore aviator sunglasses, and the pair he'd had had been destroyed. She shook her head at him, and muttered something that sounded like

"gonna get me killed with his stubbornness."  
He'd just laughed and brushed it off, but clearly, Natasha wasn't comfortable doing missions during the day when he was supposed to have her back.

He smiled as he slipped the glasses on, and found that they were almost exactly like his old ones, except for the very important fact that _these were better._

Natasha Romanoff returned 2 weeks later, and was somewhat surprised when she saw her partner waiting for her after he debriefing. She was even more surprised when she saw that he was wearing the sunglasses she'd given him.

"It's nice to see you finally listened to me for once. I was going to be really pissed if I came back and you were dead."  
"Gosh, Romanoff, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you love me."  
"Love is for children, Barton."  
"Gosh, Romanoff, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you care about me."  
"I care about having a partner for missions."

"Fine Romanoff, have it your way."  
Barton pretended to stalk away from her, but at the last minute, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his bedroom, after making sure that no one was around, and the security cameras were sweeping away from them.

Just as the door was closing, Natasha Romanoff could be heard giggling from inside her partner's bedroom.

_Oh yes, they did much more than kiss in Budapest_.

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	4. People They Aren't

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed this. :) Your reviews keep me motivated, which means I write more. I know the chapter title doesn't make sense, but it will once you read it. :)**

**This chapter is slightly more depressing, but I like for a little bit of depressing to be in stories- it makes happy endings- which this will have-eventually- much more fun to write, and, I think, much more believable- because it makes it feel like the characters deserved it.**

**Anywhoo, enough rambling, time for the fun stuff. Enjoy. :)**

**Year Four: People They Aren't**

Natasha Romanoff had to get away. She had to get away from everything that was collapsing around her. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't.

'_Barton's been compromised.'_

Coulson's words had haunted her since he'd told her a few days ago. She should have known something had happened. He never called her Natasha. It was always Romanoff.

She shook her head as she continued running, trying to rid herself of the memories. She had almost made it to her room when she heard someone behind her.

"Natasha! Hold on."  
She turned around and saw Phil running after her.

"What do you want Phil?"  
"I have something to give you. It's a birthday present."  
At his words, Natasha felt her resolve crumbling. She opened her door and gestured for him to come inside. She didn't mind crying in front of him, she'd done it before, the night Clint almost died. But she wasn't crying in the hall if she could help it.

Phil shut the door behind himself, and came to sit next to her on the bed. He handed her something she realized he must have been holding the whole time.

Natasha couldn't bring herself to do anything but stare at it

"He uh- he didn't think he'd be able to get away for your birthday, and he knew I was coming to do some work, so he asked me to bring it to you."  
Natasha barely managed to nod before the floodgates opened. She started sobbing, and she couldn't find it in herself to care. Phil put his arm around her shoulders and allowed her to cry into his shirt, effectively ruining it.

She was finally able to quiet her sobs, and pulled away from her handler.

Phil stood up to leave, before he quickly turned around and placed a quick kiss on her head. She looked up in shock, and Phil looked slightly uncomfortable.

"He also asked me to give you a kiss. You damn well better get him back so he can give you a better kiss than that."  
Natasha finally cracked a half-smile, and Coulson, realizing it was as good as he was going to get, left her alone.

She finally worked up the nerves to open the note attached to the present. It had become a thing between them- they were never around when the presents were opened, but they always tried to leave clues as to what it would be. It would appear that this time was no different.

_Nat-_

_Fury's not going to let me leave to come see you for your birthday, so Phil's going to have to suffice as the delivery boy- but I want a real kiss when we finally get to see each other. Much like your issue last year, I didn't know what to get you. I know you so much better now, so I went with something I hoped you'd like. We don't have many of us being us, but we have plenty of us being other people. Put them wherever you want, just don't smash them to a million pieces._

_-Clint_

_P.S. You better be alive when I finally get home._

Natasha burst into a fresh set of tears after reading the note, which he'd probably written just a few days ago, right before all hell broke loose. It was another long while before she was able to calm herself enough to actually open the present. And when she did, she nearly broke into fresh tears again.

Underneath the paper were two pictures:

One was taken by someone during the mission in Budapest. She looked at the picture, and figured it had taken place the night after their _activities_. Their cover was as a married couple, and the people in the picture portrayed it perfectly. They had been going to a ball, and were dressed for such an occasion- she had on an elegant black dress, along with 5 inch black heels. Her hair- which had been longer then- was in an elegant updo, with a few curls framing her face. The red of her lipstick, combined with the black of her dress and her hair- which looked even redder- made her eyes pop out. They looked just like the emeralds that she was earing in her ears and around her neck. By the end of the mission, her dress had been in tatters, her hair was all over the place, and the jewelry was gone, but in this picture, she looked like she was head-over-heels in love-_ which I was. And I still am._

The man standing next to her in the picture looked just as happy, and she'd never seen him looking as handsome- at least, not when he had clothes on. His clothes were simpler, but made him look as handsome as her clothes made her look beautiful. His gray eyes shone just as hers did, and the way his hand was wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his side, would become the way that Clint would always hold onto her.

Natasha felt her heart ache at the memory, of how happy they had been. She flipped to the other picture in the hopes that it would take her mind off her pain. It didn't.

It had been taken the day they had gotten married. It was a small thing, in a small city, in a country that no one had heard of for anything good. It wasn't legal, but for them, it was enough. There were no rings, and there was no paper trail. There was nothing that people would be able to use against them incase they were ever interrogated. The only thing that there was, were two tattoos.

Natasha smiled fondly as she thought of their arrangement. She hadn't wanted a paper trail, and he'd wanted something material to prove it. So they'd gotten tattoos on the inside of their ring fingers. She had a small arrow, and he had a small spider. And that was all they needed.

Natasha was surprised when she felt more tears coming. She couldn't imagine that she had any tears left to cry. But the tears came nonetheless, and they overtook her body and she was powerless to stop them. She had no idea how long she cried for, but she stopped when she heard a very faint knock on her door. She dried her eyes the best she could, and opened the door.

Without a word, Coulson handed her a tray of food, and a duffle bag. Once she took them, he smiled and walked away.

She forced herself to eat some of the food, before she looked in the bag. She was delighted to find a pair of Clint's boxers and a pair of his sweatpants, plus one of his t-shirts. She also found a note at the bottom of the bag.

_Natasha-_

_I grabbed some things out of Barton's closet; you looked like you could use them. Happy birthday._

_ -Phil_

She smiled at Phil's thoughtfulness, before donning the clothes. She opted to sleep in just the shirt and boxers, and crawled into her bed.

She glanced at where she put the pictures on her desk, so that she could see them from the bed.

She closed her eyes and allowed the scent of her husband's clothes to fall over her body, and pull her into much-needed sleep.

**A/N: I know I usually do both in the same chapter, but this one was so full of heavy stuff, and I think the next one will probably be too, and I thought it would be nice not to depress everyone. Plus, I wanted to tear my heart out after reading that, just to make the feelings go away.**

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	5. And People They Want to Be

**This isn't as depressing as the last one, so yay. I hope it doesn't seem out of character.**

**Year Four (part 2): And People They Want to Be.**

"You guys can come stay at the tower."  
The team nodded at Tony's offer, and Natasha and Clint stood up to grab their things from their bedrooms. Natasha gave Clint a look when they split up to go to their respective rooms.

Clint made his way to his room, avoiding eye contact with the curious agents.

He walked into his room, and his eyes fell onto his desk. Or more precisely, the box sitting on his desk.

He put his bow and quiver on the chair, picked up the box, and walked over to his bed. He pulled off the note and opened it.

_Clint-_

_Even if we don't fix you before your birthday, I will eventually. And when I do, you'll be able to open your present._

_I assume that you liked what you got me, so I went along the same lines, and I hope it's enough._

_Also, I want you to know that you're not responsible for anything you did. I know you won't accept that, so I'll tell you everyday if I have to. But it's true. _

_One more thing-_

_I love you Clint Barton, and if you ever try to kill me again, I'll end you._

_-Nat_

Clint smiled at the last line. He could hear her tone, and see her expression as she wrote it.

He opened the box, and saw two pictures.

One was the picture from their wedding, the happiest day of his life.

The other picture was the two of them, on their mission to Russia. It had to be one of the worst missions they'd ever done, but Natasha remembered it for something else, and so did Clint.

It was the first time they shared a bed.

The didn't have sex, they just slept in the same bed. It was the middle of winter, and for a Russian girl, Natasha didn't do well with cold. It may have also had something to do with the fact that she had been shot, and lost a decent amount of blood.

Whatever the reason, Clint had stitched her up and was about to leave to sleep on the couch, when she asked him to stay. He got in the bed next to her, and wrapped his arms around her, and held her through the night.

The mission finally ended a week later, and the night before it ended, they had gone to the Kremlin, and asked a random passerby to take their picture.

The people in the picture looked like they were in the first stages of love-

"We were so happy then. And we'll be that happy again."  
Clint looked up and saw Natasha standing by his door. She walked in, and sat down on his lap, resting her head in the crook of his neck.

"I'm so sorry Tash."  
"Clint, didn't you read the note? It's not your fault. Now shut up, or Tony's going to come looking for us."  
Clint nodded, and Natasha stood up and went to his closet and began pulling clothes out for him to put in his bag.

They were just leaving, when Clint grabbed the pictures, and carefully put them in his bag with his clothes.

They made their way to the rest of the team, and together they set off for Stark Tower. They were assigned their own rooms, but Clint and Natasha ignored them, and decided to share the room farthest away from the rest of the team.

A few weeks later, Steve went in to wake the two of them up, and stopped when he opened the door. The two of them were sleeping peacefully, with Clint's arms tightly around Natasha, as though he was terrified of her slipping away. His eyes caught a mysterious sight on their dresser, he saw pictures of the two of them in Russia and Budapest, and two that looked strangely like wedding photos.

He barely had time to register this before he heard a quiet _click_ behind him. He turned around to find Natasha's gun in his face.

"Tell anyone, and I _will_ end you."  
Steve nodded, before leaving the two of them on their own.

Natasha found that he'd kept his promise, when she and Clint told everyone that they were married, even if it wasn't legal.

It had been a hell of a year, but the birthdays made it worth it.

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	6. Moving On

**Year Five: Moving On**

Natasha Romanoff woke up to sunlight streaming into the bedroom she and Clint shared at Stark Tower. She rolled over to burrow her way into Clint's arms, only to find that he wasn't there.

Her eyes snapped open, and she looked to his side of the bed. He wasn't there, but there was a small box sitting on his pillow. She picked up the box, and inspected it. She saw the note, and then realized that she'd completely forgotten her birthday. She opened the note, smiling at the tradition she and Clint had started.

_Nat-_

_It didn't take me long to decide what to get you for your birthday this year. I won't write much in the note, just one thing._

_Open the box._

_-Clint_

Natasha was confused, but she opened the box. On the inside lid, there was another, smaller note

_I love you, Natasha Romanoff, will you marry me?_

Natasha looked down to what was in the box, and what she saw made her heart beat so fast, she thought it was going to leap out of her chest.

Staring up at her was a ring. It was beautiful. The band was white gold, and the stone was large enough to hint at money, but small enough to not disclose just _how much _money she knew Clint had. And it wasn't a diamond. It was by far, the most beautiful emerald she'd ever seen.

She closed the box carefully, before jumping out of the bed. She ran to her closet and pulled on the first pair of jeans and shirt she found, and made her way out of the room. She made it to the door before she turned around and went back to get the ring.

As soon as she had closed their bedroom door, she ran down the hall, toward the elevator that would take her to the main kitchen, where she knew Clint would be.

Her impatience could do nothing to speed up the slow elevator. She stepped inside, and began planning what she would say when she saw Clint.

All the words she had planned left her brain as soon as the door opened, and she saw Clint sitting at the counter with a cup of coffee. His eyes snapped up to her when he heard the ding that announced her arrival. He had a smile on his face, but it disappeared as soon as he saw her face.

She ran out of the elevator, and ran right at him,

"Clint Barton! You're a fucking asshole!"  
"What? Tasha!"  
"You can't do that!"  
"What did I do this time?"  
"You can't ask someone a question like that and not be there when they want to answer!"  
"But I thought that's what we did! I thought we did the note and didn't stay around to watch them open it!"  
"Usually, but when it's like this, you STAY!"

"Umm… what are you two yelling about?"  
Natasha looked around and saw that the rest of the team was staring at them, but she couldn't find the energy to care, so she just looked back at Clint.

"So, Nat, what's your answer?"  
"What the hell do you think it is?"  
"I was pretty sure of what it would be, until you came storming off the elevator and started screaming at me."  
Natasha could have answered him, but he decided that was too easy.

So she kissed him.

She pressed her lips against his, and got as close to him as she could. Her tongue licked at his lips, so he opened his mouth to hers, and before long, they were making out in the kitchen. Tony looked a little repulsed, Thor looked confused, and Bruce and Steve looked away sheepishly.

When they finally broke apart, they were both out of breath. Natasha moved to step away from him, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly against his body.

"So is that a yes?"  
"That's a, I need to think about it. I already consider us to be married, and I don't like paper trails."  
Clint nodded. He had expected as much. He knew that Natasha probably wouldn't have given him an answer right away.

But he was determined to get the answer he wanted out of her.

**A/N: I know; I'm a horrible person. But I decided that I like splitting them up. The next one will be up shortly, so don't fret.**

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	7. To Better Things

**Year Five (part 2): To Better Things**

A few days later, Clint woke up by himself. He knew something was up right away. He only woke up alone on his birthday, or when he'd pissed Natasha off. It wasn't his birthday, and Natasha hadn't really been mad in the first place. He turned to look at where she should be, which is when he saw the envelope on her pillow.

He pulled it off her pillow, and sat up. He opened it carefully, not entirely sure that he wanted to know what was inside.

_Clint-_

_I'll kill you if you pull a stunt like that again. Next time you want to ask me something like that, at least wait until I'm awake. _

_This is my answer._

_-Nat_

_P.S. This is your birthday present, so don't be expecting another one._

Clint smiled to himself, and reached into the envelope again, and pulled out a picture. It was simple, just a picture of Natasha's hands. But what made his heart soar was the ring that was sitting on her ring finger.

He turned the picture over, and there, in Natasha's scrawl, was her answer.

_Yes you fucking idiot. I'll marry you legally. I'll even use my real name._

Clint smiled to himself. He jumped out of bed, and ran out of their room. He was on his way to the elevator to go to the kitchen, when he heard something from down the hall.

He walked into their shooting range, and saw Natasha firing her guns, her favorite morning workout.

He waited until she put the gun down, before he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, and chuckled when she jumped slightly.

"So, how is what you did any different from what I did?"  
"I stayed on the same floor."  
Clint looked at her with a puzzled expression.

She turned around and whispered in his ear

"That means we can go back to our bedroom, which means we can have _lots _of fun time."  
She pulled back and winked at him.

"We could have just left the kitchen."  
"But then they would have known what we were doing."  
"Nat, they know. We go at it like bunnies."  
Natasha laughed before continuing

"But it's so much more fun when Tony isn't making crude comments."  
Clint nodded in agreement

"So, are we going back to the bedroom for _fun time_?"  
"Maybe."  
Clint looked hurt, and Natasha chuckled.

"I have to clean my guns, buddy."  
Clint nodded, a wide grin making its way across his face.

He quickly helped Natasha clean and store her guns, before leading Natasha back to their bedroom.

She giggled as he grabbed her arm, and they practically ran back to the bed.

"Someone's in a hurry."  
Clint pushed her against the bed, and attached his mouth to her neck, where he growled

"You have _no _idea."  
She giggled once again, before pulling his mouth back to hers.

**A/N: See, I updated soon! Anywhoo, I hope you like it, 'cause I've enjoyed writing the last couple chapters.**

**Reviews are nice, and they make me happy. You should write one. :)**


	8. A New Life

**Year 6:**

Natasha blinked her eyes open, and a small smile spread across her face. She had the day off, or more precisely, she had a month off. She and Clint had just come home from a horrible mission, and Fury had had the decency to give them extended time off.

She felt Clint behind her, so she snuggled backwards so that his arms were wrapped around her, and her back was flush against his front. He breathed in deeply, and tightened his arms around her and placed a kiss on the back of her neck.

"You up, Tasha?"  
Natasha nodded, and pressed her lips to the arm she was using as a pillow. To her dismay, Clint pulled away from her. She let out an uncharacteristic whimper at the loss of his body. Clint chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead

"I'm just getting breakfast."  
She sighed, and Clint left. When he was gone, she was given a moment to think. She ran through all the reasons he was making her breakfast, when she realized that, once again, it was her birthday.

_I really need to stop forgetting my own birthday_. She thought wryly to herself. She curled up in the warmth of his empty space on the bed, and she allowed his scent to wash over her.

She must have fallen asleep again, because Clint's hand was softly brushing her hair out of her face

"Hey, beautiful. Are you hungry?"  
Natasha nodded and sat up, allowing Clint to place the tray over her lap. He'd made waffles, because she couldn't stand the stupid American pancakes, bacon, and he'd squeezed some orange juice.

She ate quickly, and ignored Clint taking small bites of her food. She knew she wouldn't be able to actually eat all the food, because she never ate large breakfasts.

When she was done, he took the tray back to their kitchen.

She looked over at one of the pictures on the nightstand, and she noticed an envelope that was out of place.

When she walked over to investigate, she found that it was addressed to her. She smiled as she picked it up, and went back to the bed before opening it.

There was nothing in the envelope, except for a note.

_Nat-_

_I decided that I wouldn't buy you anything this year, and instead I decided to just do things for you. After breakfast, I'm at your service. We can do anything and everything you want._

_Happy birthday, Love._

_-Clint_

She smiled at Clint's present, and quickly pulled on clothes more suitable for wandering around a tower that was also inhabited by a demi god, an old-fashioned super soldier, a man that was sometimes a giant green rage monster, and an annoying billionaire and his fiancée, even if they didn't dare venture onto the assassins' floor for anything not life threatening.

When she entered the living room, she found her husband sitting on the couch, lazily flipping through TV channels. She made her way over to the couch, and sat down on his lap.

He smiled, and pulled her tightly against his chest. They didn't say anything, but somehow they decided to watch a movie. Clint turned on _Raiders of the Lost Ark._ It was an old movie, one that they had watched many times, but both of them enjoyed it immensely. When the movie was done, they turned on _Last Crusade_. When ever they watched more than one Indiana Jones movie, they always skipped the second one, since neither of them liked it very much.

The second movie ended, and a glance at the clock told them that it was 3:49, something that surprised Natasha.

"Clint, what time did we wake up?"

"Um, about 10ish I think."  
Natasha nodded, not really needing to say much. She tried to figure out what else she wanted to do. They could have gone to the training center, done target practice or gymnastics, but she didn't really want to move. So she snuggled closer to her husband, and decided to give _Kingdom of the Crystal Skull_ a chance. Halfway through the movie, she decided that she didn't like it as much as the two they'd already watched, but liked it more than the second one.

When the scene with the bugs crawling everywhere came on, she let out a squeak, and curled her legs up onto the couch.

"What's wrong, Tash?"  
"I don't like bugs."  
Clint didn't answer, just chuckled at her, and held her closer to his body.

When the movie ended, Clint told her that he was going to make dinner. When she didn't move to get off his lap, he sighed and stood up and carried her into the kitchen, setting her on the counter.

She watched him while he made macaroni and cheese with bacon, her favorite American dish. He brought her a plate of food, and made his way to the bar to get drinks. He came back with nothing more than a bottle of premium Russian Vodka. She smiled at him, and took the bottle from his hands, and took a long drink.

They ate dinner at the counter, passing the vodka back and forth. When they were done, he carried her back to the couch, where they watched a few James Bond movies, not really paying attention to which ones they were, but Clint did his best to stay away from any that had a Russian Bond girl, or a KGB enemy, just so Natasha wouldn't complain about inconsistencies.

They finished their movie marathon around 11:00 pm, and finally decided to go to bed. Clint set her on the bed, and threw a pair of his boxers and a t-shirt at her, which she quickly pulled on. He changed into a new pair of boxers.

They climbed into bed together, snuggling into each other, and fell asleep quickly.

Natasha smiled as she decided that it was definitely the best birthday she'd ever had.

**Here it is! Sorry it took so long to update.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one! :)**


	9. New Responsibilities

**Year 6 (part 2): New Responsibilities**

Clint Barton opened his eyes to the bright sunlight pouring through the window in the bedroom he shared with Natasha.

He twisted his head to the side to read the clock.

_10:00, wow. I haven't slept this late in a long time._

He rolled over to wrap Natasha in his arms. He felt her stiffen for a moment, and then relax as she realized that her husband was awake.

Clint burrowed his face in her hair, breathing in the scent of her shampoo

"Mmm, morning, gorgeous."  
Natasha smiled, and snuggled closer into his chest

"Morning, handsome."  
They lay there for a moment, just listening to the other breathe.

"Been up long, Tash?"  
"Nope. I was sleeping soundly when you woke me up."  
He huffed, but he knew that she was joking. They enjoyed pushing each other's buttons.

"Feeling any better, Sweetie?"  
"Ugh. Clint, remember what I said? Nat and the rest of those nicknames are fine, but Sweetie? Really? No."  
"Fine. Now answer the question."  
"You'll have to repeat it. I got distracted by the hideous name."  
Clint chuckled, but obliged his wife, "Are you feeling any better?"  
Natasha sighed, and shrugged slightly. "I guess. I think it was just a stomach thing. Pepper said something had been going around the office lately, so I must have gotten it. But I don't feel like dying, if that's what you mean."  
"You're so over-dramatic."  
"But that's why you love me."  
"There are many things I love about you, Tash, but being over-dramatic isn't one of them."  
Natasha rolled to face her husband, "Then what is it exactly that you love about me?"  
"Well, your hair for one. And your eyes as well. The way you could totally kick my butt, but do your best not to inflict lasting damage. You're a fairly decent kisser. You agreed to marry me. And, you decided to follow me that night."  
Natasha didn't have to ask which night. But the mood had shifted to become quite somber, and she didn't like it, especially not this soon after waking up.

"I'm only a fairly decent kisser?"  
Her distraction worked, just like she knew it would

"_That's_ what you pick up on?"  
Natasha smiled, before rolling back over and getting out of bed. Or trying to, anyway.

"Where do you think you're going?"  
"I need to pee. And I'm hungry, since someone let us sleep in and miss the whole day."  
"Hey, it's my birthday, I'm allowed to sleep in."  
"Oh, it's your birthday? I hadn't noticed."

Clint gave her a wounded look, until he recognized the sarcasm in her voice.

"That took you way too long, mister. Go take a shower so you can be partially coherent."  
Clint shot her a look, but got out of the bed anyway, and made his way over to the adjoined bathroom.

"Hey, hotshot. Wait your turn. Don't you remember me saying I need to pee?"  
Clint didn't answer, so Natasha had to walk across the room to face him

"Wait your turn. Don't you remember me saying that I need to pee?"  
Clint smiled at her and gave her a small shove towards the bathroom, while he went to get clothes to put on after his shower.

She emerged shortly, and gave him a gentle kiss.

"Remember to take your aides out before getting in."  
"Tasha. You know I don't sleep with them in."  
Natasha just gave him a look, and he understood.

"You're _still_ making fun of me for that? Tasha, it happened once! And it was right after I got them, I wasn't used to them yet!"  
Natasha just cocked an eyebrow at him, and gestured to the bathroom.

"I'll have breakfast ready by the time you're done. It'll probably be in the main kitchen, I think the guys are still a little upset that we didn't do anything with them on my birthday.

Clint gave her a smirk, before kissing the top of her head and heading into the bathroom to shower.

He allowed the hot water to fall over his body, relieving the last of the tension he always carried after sleeping for extended periods of time. He showered quickly, and got dressed. When he was done, he made his way back to his bedside table, and picked his aides up from their customary place. He put them in, noting the difference, just as he did every morning.

Without them, he could hear things, although it mostly sounded like white noise. Deep sounds weren't a problem, although that was partly due to the vibrations they caused. But with them in, he was able to hear better than he'd been able to before the debacle with the sonic arrow, and that was saying something.

He was about to leave the bedroom when he saw a small box sitting next to his aides' place on the table. He picked it up and tried to figure out how he hadn't seen it before. He sat down, and pulled off the note

_Clint-  
I'm not going to do what you did for my birthday, because we both know I don't have the patience for it. I'd had a plan for a while about what to get you, but then I found this, and decided that it was better. I hope you enjoy it, but I have a hunch that you will.  
I love you  
-Nat_

Clint was slightly confused, but he brushed it off. The notes were usually cryptic; it made the whole tradition more fun.

He pulled the lid off the box, and was met by a strange looking contraption. He picked it up, slightly confused, but realization dawning on him. He looked closer, and noted two faint lines on it.

He thought for a moment, thinking he knew what it meant, but not entirely sure. He needn't worry however, because just underneath, was another note.

_I'm assuming that you know what this is. In case you can't read it-because gosh knows I had a hard enough time, I'll tell you what it means-  
We're going have a baby, Clint  
We're going to be parents._

Clint dropped the box, surprise taking control of his body.

He sat staring at the box for a moment, until the shock wore off slightly, replaced with different emotions.

Fear was definitely there. They had no clue what to do.

Surprise was still there. They hadn't really been trying…

Nerves were kicking in. He really didn't want to screw up like his father had.

But the strongest one present was the joy.

Good lord, the joy was nearly killing him.

He'd wanted nothing more than to have kids with Natasha, but he hadn't thought it was possible. The fact that he'd been wrong about that was making him happier than he could have ever imagined.

He finally forced himself out of the room, making his way to the kitchen that everyone shared. He contemplated waiting for the elevator, but that would take too long. So he ran down the 8 flights of stairs, until he burst into the living room. He glanced around quickly, and determined that Natasha wasn't in the room. He made his way to the kitchen, where he could smell food cooking.

He saw her standing in front of the stove, cooking eggs and bacon. He waited until she pulled everything from the heat- he wasn't going to risk burning the bacon- and placed it on a plate. In the split second before she picked up the plate- because he damn well wasn't going to make her drop the plate with the bacon on it- he ran up behind her.

He heard her quite squeak as his arms turned her to face him, but he paid it no mind. He stared into her eyes, and asked the question he'd been thinking since he'd dropped the box on their bedroom floor

"Really?"  
Natasha had had a confused look on her face, but at his question, not to mention the way his eyes were shining, she caught on to what he was asking. She didn't trust herself to speak, so she simply nodded.

Clint's face broke into a huge grin, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground slightly as he spun her in circles. When he set her back down, he leaned in and pressed a heated kiss to her lips.

They only pulled apart when someone made a noise behind them. Clint turned around, and found Tony smirking as he stared at them, while Steve and Thor blushed and looked away. Bruce had his nose in a newspaper, and hadn't realized that Clint had even entered the room.

Normally Clint would have said something snarky, but instead he shot Natasha a look, clearly asking if she wanted them to know.

She nodded slightly, causing his smile to widen even more.

"As happy as I am to see you, Legolas, I'm hungry. So stop distracting everyone, and get your bottom to the table."  
Clint couldn't find a way to be mad at Tony for the remark, so he settled for telling him why he was so happy.

"Sorry, Tony. I just opened my present from Tasha, and I wanted to thank her for it."  
"I really don't need to hear this."  
Everyone ignored Steve's whisper. Tony gave Clint a scrutinizing look, while trying to decide if he wanted to know what it was. In the end, his nosey billionaire side won out,

"So, what did Spidey give you, Legolas?"  
"She gave me a baby." Clint replied, his eyes never leaving Natasha's.

Tony did a spit take with the coffee he'd just raised to his lips, clearly not expecting something like that.

"I'm sorry. Did you just say that your wife gave you a baby?"  
Clint just nodded, so Tony continued

"She bought you a baby? Cause I'm pretty sure that's illegal."  
"No, Stark. Don't be stupid."  
"Would you care to elaborate then?"  
Clint was tired of talking, so he just stepped closer to Natasha, and reached his hand out to rest on her stomach, while he kissed her gently on her lips.

There was a gasp as Tony finally figured it out.

"Oh my god! Guys! Guysguysgysguys!"  
"_What_ Tony?" Steve asked.

"Spidey's pregnant! We're gonna have a master assassin baby in the tower!"

His statement caused everyone to look up. It even managed to pull Bruce out of his newspaper.

"Really?"  
Natasha just nodded, as Clint stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame, pulling her into him so that her back was against his chest.

"Congratulations, guys!"  
"That's wonderful, you two!"  
"Congratulations on the new life that will join you soon!"

They finally sat down to breakfast, and afterwards, Clint pulled Natasha back to their floor, ignoring the comments Tony sent their way.

When they entered their room, Clint pulled Natasha into a tight hug as he led her to their bed. They both changed into pajamas, and after Clint picked up the things he'd dropped earlier, they crawled into the bed together to have an _Indiana Jones_ marathon, just as they'd done on Natasha's birthday. Clint wrapped his arms around her, not wanting any space between the two.

They remained in that position until the credits for _Kingdom of the Crystal Skull_ started rolling. Clint realized that Natasha had fallen asleep, so he turned the TV off, and pulled his aides out and set them on the table, all while trying not to wake his wife.

It didn't work of course; Natasha stirred, and looked up at Clint.

"Clint? What time is it?"  
"About 11:30. Time for bed."  
Natasha nodded, as she shifted so that her head was lying on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and leaned in to kiss the top of her head.

"Starting tomorrow, no more missing food, deal?"  
"Deal." She murmured sleepily.

Clint chuckled, before kissing her head again, and allowing sleep to take over his mind.

**There you have it! I hope you all enjoyed it, because I know I did!**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	10. Family Days

**Year 7: Family Days**

* * *

Natasha Barton-Romanoff woke up to something touching her cheek. It was soft, and not the least bit annoying, even if it was waking her up.

When she opened her eyes, she was met with a pair of blue-gray eyes.

"Hi, Aliya. How are you today?" She reached out and lightly tapped her daughter's nose, causing a fit of giggles to erupt from the 7 month old.  
She sat up slowly, careful not to topple the baby supported by pillows. Looking to the other side, she saw her husband holding their other daughter, Alexis, who'd fallen asleep again.

"Hey."  
"Hey, Tasha. Happy birthday."  
"Thanks. How long did it take her to fall asleep again?"  
"About 5 minutes. She got bored."  
Natasha smiled. "Were you waiting long?"  
"Not really. I think Aliya was starting to get bored, though."  
"They get bored so easily because of their father."  
"You wound me, Tasha."  
"Get used to it."

Clint smiled at that, and leaned over to gently place a kiss on her head.

"C'mon. I'll start breakfast."  
Natasha nodded and followed him up from the bed, grabbing Aliya on her way. As they were padding down the hall together, Aliya reached out and grabbed one of Natasha's curls and tugged gently.

"Ouch! Liya, please don't do that."  
The little girl's only response was to let go of the curl, only to start petting Natasha's hair, causing both adults to laugh.

When they entered the kitchen, Natasha placed Aliya into her high chair, and took Alexis from Clint, so that he could make breakfast.

Just before breakfast was ready, Alexis finally woke up, and when she saw her mom, a huge smile made its way across her face.

"Hey there, sleepy girl. Nice of you join us."  
She set Alexis in her own chair, before sitting down. Clint sat on the other side of Aliya, so that each parent could feed one of the girls.

"Any idea what you want to do today, Tasha?"  
"I was thinking taking them to the park, maybe?"  
"That's all you want to do for your birthday?"  
"I just want to spend it with them. You don't have to keep buying me gifts, Clint."  
At this, Clint's expression became appalled. "What? I don't have to buy you gifts? Tasha, that's ridiculous! Of course I bought you something! I don't know what's gotten into you, woman."  
Natasha smiled at his response. Of course she wanted gifts, but she still felt the need to tell him not to buy any.

"So, is the park ok with you?"  
"Of course, Tasha. After we're done eating, we can shower, get them dressed, and go. That sound good?"  
"Yeah."  
They finished breakfast quickly after that, and Natasha went back to their bedroom to shower while Clint cleaned up and entertained their daughters.

10 minutes after she got into the shower, Natasha stepped out of the bathroom. She made her way to the closet to grab her shoes, and when she returned to the bed, she found a box sitting on her pillow, with a note attached.

Smiling to herself, she removed the note, and began to read.

_Tasha (Мама)_ _-_

_I know you said I didn't have to get you anything, but that was just stupid. You know I'm not going to listen. So here's your birthday present. It's from the girls and I, and they fully expect you to wear it everyday. They told me they'd cry if you didn't.  
We love you, Tasha, so much._

_-Clint, Aliya, and Alexis._

Under each of her daughters' names was a handprint, clearly Clint's way of having them sign the card.

She smiled as she finished reading the note, the greeting making her smile more than she thought it'd be able to.

She picked up the box next. There was nothing remarkable about it, it was small and silver, with a bow stuck on top.

She untied the bow carefully and pulled it off, before lifting the lid off as well. In the box, nestled into a square puff of cotton was a silver necklace with two charms.

Upon closer inspection, Natasha saw that the charms were little stick figure girls. Each girl had and small tanzanite stone on it, as well as a name. One of the girls had Aliya carved in cursive on the back, while the other had Alexis written in the same fashion.

Natasha unclasped the necklace, and clasped it behind her neck. When she moved the box off her lap, she heard another jangle. When she lifted the cotton, she found another chain, this one with a pair of dog tags on it.

She lifted one for closer inspection, and the inscription melted her heart.

_Stalingrad, Kiev, Bangladesh, Sao Paulo, Moscow, Budapest, Sarajevo, New York._

And the reverse side:

_My heart has followed you around the world, and will follow wherever else you may go._

She picked up the note that had been in the bottom of the box and read it, a smile playing at her lips.

_I know these aren't going to help you in the field, but I thought you'd enjoy them anyways._

She slipped the chain over her head, noticing that the chain for the tags was long enough that they would hide inside her shirt, while the necklace from her daughters would be clearly visible.

She pulled her shoes on, and exited the bedroom, finding Clint sitting in the living room, making faces at Alexis while Aliya was playing with blocks.

She came up behind her husband, and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, Clint."  
"You're welcome, Tasha."

Natasha made her way over to Aliya, a scooped her up, causing her to break into laughter.

"And thank you, you sweet little girl."  
She set Aliya down, and picked Alexis up. "And you too, Lexi-pie. Thank you, you wonderful little girl."  
Alexis laughed as well, and patted her mother's cheeks.

Natasha sat in Clint's place when he went to shower, and took over entertaining their children.

While she was focusing on Alexis, and on making a truly silly face that she'd never admit to, Aliya came over to her and handed Natasha one of the blocks she'd been building with.

"Мама." Aliya said simply, before turning around and wobbling to her blocks.  
"What did you say, Liya?"  
"Мама." Alexis supplied.

Natasha's head whipped around to her other daughter, who had a smile on her face.

"You too, Lexi-pie?"  
"Her too, what?" Clint asked as he reentered.  
"Liya said 'Мама', and when I asked her to repeat it, Alexis did it for her."  
"Really? They spoke and I missed it?"  
"I'm sure they'll do it again."

Clint nodded sullenly, causing Natasha to laugh.

"Come on, mister. Let's get them dressed, and we can go to the park."  
Clint nodded and pulled Aliya from the ground, while Natasha took Alexis, and they made their way back to the girls' room.

Once everyone was dressed, they left their floor of the tower, and made their way to central park. Once they arrived, they found a sunny patch of grass, and spread out the blanket they'd brought along. Alexis and Aliya were set on top of the blanket, along with a few of their toys, which they immediately started playing with.

Natasha took off her shoes, and Clint followed suit, coming to sit behind her, placing one of his legs on either side of Natasha's hips, and sliding up behind her as they watched their kids play.

They park was fairly busy, so a lot of people were walking by/ Many of them looked at the family as they passed, admiring how adorable the kids were, and how sweet the parents looked together.

When lunch rolled around, Clint pulled out the food he'd packed, and the two of them began eating while feeding Alexis and Aliya.

When they were done eating, the girls fell asleep, so their parents covered them with another blanket. The sun had shifted by then, so they didn't have to worry about putting more sunscreen on the girls, which they were grateful for.

As their daughters slept, Clint ran his fingers through Natasha's hair while she leaned against his chest.

"This was a great idea, Tasha."  
"Thanks. It's been known to happen."  
"Indeed. But for my birthday, I think we should hand them off to Pepper, so we can have a day alone. Or at least a night alone."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Tasha, they'll be over a year old. It'll be fine."  
"I guess."  
Clint smiled and was about to say more, when Alexis woke up, followed shortly by Aliya. It was only then that wither parent realized how late it had gotten.

"We should probably head home."  
"Yeah. Can you put them in their stroller while I pack up?"  
"Sure, Clint."  
Natasha had both girls in the stroller by the time Clint was done packing, and together they made their way out of the park and back home.

When they arrived, they stopped at the main floor to say hello to everyone, and to allow Alexis and Aliya to be fawned over by their Uncles and Aunts.

They ended up staying later than they'd expected, and before they knew it, it was time to put the girls to bed. So they bid their friends goodbye, and headed up to their floor.

Alexis and Aliya were exhausted, so it didn't take them long to fall asleep. When both girls were in their cribs, and had been kissed twice by both parents, Natasha and Clint made their way back to their room. After putting their pajamas on and climbing into bed, Clint turned on the latest Bond movie, Skyfall, thankful that there wasn't a Russian Bond Girl, or any KGB agents to annoy Tasha.

By the middle of the movie, Natasha had fallen asleep, wrapped safely in Clint's arms, had on his chest. Clit smiled down at his wife, before stopping the movie and kissing her head.

"Clint?" Natasha asked groggily.  
"Shh. Go back to sleep. Goodnight, Tasha. I love you."  
"I love you too, Clint."  
"That's good."  
"Clint?"  
"Yeah, Tasha?"  
"Best birthday ever."  
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."  
"I did."  
Clint smiled. "Goodnight, Tasha."  
"'Night."

Clint kissed his wife again before pulling his aides out and setting them in their place next to his bed. He then snuggled closer to his wife, and let sleep overtake him.

* * *

**Sorry it took me so long to update. I hope this chapter was well worth it, though. **

**Although I know what I want to do for the next chapter, I'm not sure when I'll have time to post it, so it might be a while before we get to Clint's birthday. And before anyone points it out, I know Skyfall isn't on DVD yet, at least not in Arizona. But I figure that, being spies/ secret agents and whatnot, they'd have a way to watch it. Or Tony would have hacked someone/something.**

**Also, in my Christmas story, I said Clint's birthday was about 9 months before Christmas. It is. I've decided that his birthday is in March, while Natasha's birthday is in July. I realize that this is confusing, since the chapters are by year, and Natasha's birthday is after Clint's. However, when I started this story, it was with Clint giving Natasha a present, so in my mind she skipped his birthday that year. So the years I have it broken down into isn't calendar years, but rather, modified years, where Natasha's birthday comes first.**

**One last thing. If anybody has any ideas for potential birthday gifts/plans, let me know. I'm not going to promise that I'll use them, but if I like one enough, I just might use it. **

**Sorry for the information overload. Hope you enjoyed the story!**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	11. And Grown Up Days

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update this! I knew what I wanted to write, but I didn't have a good way to write it, so many apologies.**

* * *

**Year 7 (part2): And Grown Up Days**

"Clint."  
"Mmph."  
"Clint, you need to wake up."  
"Du unna e uh."  
"I know you don't want to get up, but you need to."  
"Why?"  
"Other than because I said so?"  
"Huh."  
"Because, it's your birthday. And this whole thing was your idea. So get your butt out of bed, or I'm sending the girls in to help me. And they're very cranky, because they had to get up early to."  
"Fine. I'm awake."  
"Clint, hun, in order to be awake, your eyes need to actually be open." Natasha laughed.  
"They are."  
"Really?"  
"Huh."  
"Well then, why aren't you complementing my outfit? Because normally, you've ripped it off me by now."

At this, Clint's eyes flew open and instantly went to where his wife was standing by his head.  
"Hey." He whined. "You cheated."  
"How do you figure?"  
"You made me think you were in your underwear. But you're not. You're in my sweats."  
"I said no such thing. I asked why you weren't complementing my outfit. And you've ripped your sweats off me plenty of times."  
"I hate you sometimes, you know that, right?"  
"See, I'd be hurt if I believed that. But I know it isn't true. So get up."  
Clint huffed, but pulled himself into a sitting position. "What time is it?"  
"5:00."  
"Why the fuck are you waking me up so early?"  
"Hey, this was your idea, remember?"  
"Too late to change it?"  
"Yeah."  
"Damn. Fine, give me 20 minutes to shower."  
"You have 15."  
Clint sighed but managed to stand up and shuffle his way to the bathroom, calling over his shoulder before closing the door, "I really hate you."

Natasha smiled to herself as she left the room to check on their daughters.

"Hi, Liya-bug. How are you today?"  
"Мама!"  
Natasha chuckled. "Hi Liya."  
Natasha pulled the one-year-old from her crib and into her arms, breathing in the scent that all little kids seemed to have.

"You want to go wake up Ally?"  
"Yeah."  
Natasha kissed Liya's temple as they made their way to Ally's room.

"Hi, Ally-cat. How are you?"  
"Tired, Мама."  
"I know, sweetie. It's Папа's fault, ok?"  
"O-tay."  
Natasha smiled as she set Liya on Ally's bed, and pulled Ally into her arms, kissing her good morning.

"As soon as aunt Pepper gets here, you girls can sleep again, ok?"  
"Pwomise?"  
"Yeah, I promise."  
Ally nodded quickly once, and Natasha set her back on the bed.

"Do you want Папа to help tuck you back in?"  
"Pwease."  
"Alright. You both stay here while I go see if he's almost ready."  
Both girls nodded, and Natasha left the room, walking quickly back to her and Clint's bedroom.

She walked in as Clint walked out of the bathroom, a cloud of steam following him.

"Finally."  
"Sorry."  
"Don't worry about it. The girls are awake, but I told them that once Pepper gets here, they can go back to sleep. They're both in Ally's room. I figure they can share a bed for a few hours. Once you're dressed, we'll go tuck them in again."  
"Ok. Give me two minutes."  
Three minutes later, Clint was in a black t-shirt and jeans, along with the black and gray checkered vans the twins had gotten him for his birthday.  
"Alright, let's go."

Natasha took his hand and led him from the room, pausing to say hello to Pepper who'd just arrived in the living room, before going to Ally's bedroom.

"Папа!"  
"Hey, Liya-bug."  
"Hi, Папа."  
"Hi, Ally-cat."  
Clint made his way over to his daughters and scooped them both into his arms, hugging them tightly, peppering their faces with kisses.

"Папа, stop!" Ally giggled, trying to sound serious.  
"My apologies, Miss." Clint replied.

He set both girls on the bed and helped them each under the covers, kissing their heads when they were finally tucked in.

"We'll see you girls in two days. Be good for Aunt Pepper, ok?"  
"Ok, Папа."  
Natasha smiled as she kissed her daughters goodbye, and left the room, making sure to leave the door open slightly.

"Thanks for doing this, Pepper."  
"Don't worry about it, Clint. You guys haven't had a break since they were born, and you deserve it."  
"We both appreciate it, really."  
Pepper just smiled at her friends as they put all their last minute things together.

"Alright, I think that's everything. Pep, you know what to do. They'll be awake in a couple hours or so. Keep them fed and clean, and they won't be too much trouble."  
"Sounds good. Now get out, before I have you removed." Pepper joked.

Natasha hugged her friend, and followed Clint from the floor and to the garage.

They climbed into the car they'd packed the night before, and set out.

* * *

They arrived at the safe house on the beach some hours later, just as the sleepy town was waking up. It was small enough that everyone knew everyone else, but not small enough that a few visitors would be a strange occurrence.

The house itself was a two-story cottage, certainly not the biggest of their safe houses, but it was charming. It was a pale blue that matched the cloudless sky, and the design was slightly old-fashioned.

Natasha and Clint brought all their things inside, and spent a few minutes unpacking.

"Do we need to get food?"  
"Yeah. I saw a bakery on the way here. I might head over and get some food, if you want to stay and settle in?"  
"Fine. Just try not to pick up any hot girls."  
"You know I only have eyes for you, hun."  
"Ugh. Clint, can you get any cheesier?"  
"I'm sure I could if I tried."  
"Please don't. Go get food."  
"Right away."  
Natasha smacked his bottom playfully, and grinned when he turned to look at her.

While Clint got food, Natasha opened the shutters, allowing light to flood into the house. Then she made her way to the kitchen, and took stock of what was where, and what they'd need. It had been nearly two years since they'd been here last, so only a few places really needed to be cleaned.

By the time she was done with her inventory, Clint had returned with cinnamon rolls and sticky buns, having been unable to decide which he wanted. He'd also gotten some bread, and had stopped at the store to pick up food for the next two days.

"Took you long enough, Barton."  
"What can I say, Barton? I had some difficult choices."  
"I'm sure you did."  
Their playful banter continued through breakfast, and when the dishes had been cleared away, they grabbed their coffee mugs and made their way to the wrap around porch. They sat in the swing and watched the ocean break on the shore, and listened to the kids laughing.

"Tasha?"  
"Yeah, Clint?"  
"Do you think we could bring Liya and Ally here sometime?"  
"I think they'd enjoy it. How about in a couple years?"  
"Your birthday or mine?"  
"Mine will be warmer, but more crowded. Yours will be colder, but less crowded."  
"True."  
"Happy medium?"  
"Just have one birthday celebration?"  
"Yeah. But let's give it 2 or 3 years. That way we can enjoy his house before they destroy it."  
Clint laughed with Natasha. "Deal."  
They slipped back into a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's company.

Finally, Natasha spoke. "Is this what you had in mind?"  
"What?"  
"When you said you wanted to do something for the two of us for your birthday, was this what you had in mind?"  
"Pretty much, yeah. I love our girls, you know that. But I just wanted to have a day or two to be just the two of us, without screaming kids."  
Natasha smiled as she shifted so that Clint's legs were on either side of her hips while she leaned into him with her back pressing into his chest.

"I think I could get used to this."  
"To what?"  
"The normalcy of this. Not worrying about the next target."  
"I'm shocked. Is Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, becoming domesticized?"  
"It's entirely possible. Don't tell anyone."  
"I won't don't worry, Tasha."  
They fell into silence again, not noticing time slipping away from them. Before they knew it, it was almost sunset, and they were both hungry.

"I'll cook. You stay out here."  
Clint smirked as he swatted Natasha's bottom as she walked by, repaying her for her earlier actions.

She reemerged 30 minutes later, holding two bowls of pasta.

"Dinner is served."  
"Why, thank you, M'lady."  
"Shut up, Clint."  
Clint didn't respond, choosing to just stick his tongue out instead.

They ate quietly, and when she'd finished, Natasha went to stand with her hands on the porch railing, admiring the ocean at sunset.  
Without making a sound, Clint came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest.

"It's beautiful."  
"Yeah it is."  
"Not as beautiful as you, though."  
"You don't need to suck up, Clint."  
"I'm not. You're gorgeous, Tasha. You'll always be gorgeous."  
Before she could respond, Clint pressed his lips to her neck and kissed her softly, loving the feel of her in his arms.

"Want to go watch a movie?"  
"Sure. Any ideas?"  
"How about Harry Potter?"  
"Which one?"  
"Whichever. Just not 2 or 4. I don't like them as much."  
"5?"  
"Sure."  
Without another word, they made their way inside. While Natasha washed the few dishes there were, Clint went to their bedroom and pulled his pajamas on. When she'd finished, Natasha went to change into her pajamas while Clint set up the movie.

When she came back to the living room, Clint was sitting on the couch waiting for her, pillow and blanket already in position.

Natasha settled herself on his lap, leaving the pillow for now, but pulling the blanket over their bodies.

As the movie started, Clint wrapped his arms around Natasha and held her close to his body, kissing her during random bits of the movie.

By the time the movie was done, Natasha and Clint were both close to sleep, so they made their way back to the bedroom, where they crawled into bed, and Clint again wrapped his arms around Natasha.

Just before they fell asleep, Clint whispered into Natasha's ear.

"Thank you for this, Tasha."  
"You're welcome, Clint. Pepper's right, we deserved a day to ourselves."  
"I love you, Tasha."  
"I love you, too, Clint."  
Clint turned so he was on his side facing Natasha, while Natasha rested her cheek on his shoulder, pressing her nose into the side of his neck.

They both fell asleep within minutes, listening to each other breathe as dreams claimed them.

* * *

**There you go! I decided not to have a physical present this year, because I figured that between Clint and Natasha going back to work, and having kids, they'd need some time to just be together. So that's where this came from. I really hope you guys liked it!  
Also, while I know that some of you may think it's weird to have them call their daughter Ally when her name's Alexis, it's not as weird as it sounds, I promise. My name is Alexis, but everyone calls me Ally, so I kind of stole that from my parents.  
One more thing, I'm obsessed with Harry Potter, as is evident by some of my other stories. I have absolutely noting against books/moves 2 and 4, they're just not my favorite, and 5 is. So please don't get mad at me for the little bit about Harry Potter.**

**Sorry for the super long note! just one more thing before you go, Merry Christmas, Happy (late) Hanukkah, Merry Quanza, and Happy Winter Solstice. I think that covers all the holidays. If I missed the holiday you celebrate, let me know in a (nice) review, and I will respond with happy holiday greetings.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


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